


The one he couldn’t have - Unrequited Stony

by CielWritesShit



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Gen, I Just Let The Angst Flow Through Me, M/M, Marvel Universe, One-Sided Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Pepperony - Freeform, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Stony - Freeform, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Unrequited Love, i reference the entire mcu, no happy ending, unrequited stony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2020-01-31 11:35:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18590449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CielWritesShit/pseuds/CielWritesShit
Summary: Steve had only felt love for a few people in his life. Why was it always people he couldn't have?





	The one he couldn’t have - Unrequited Stony

**Author's Note:**

> Slight spoilers for Endgame, watch that first. Please. You'll understand why I wrote this.
> 
> Also, hi, I'm alive, it's just taken me a while to find any inspiration to write. Enjoy the Stony, I'll probably write more. If you have any requests, please, drop them in the comments. I can't say I'll definetly do them, but I do read every comment and I respond to as many as I can. :)

It hurt.

That’s the only way that Steve could think to describe the pain is in his chest. It hurt, in a way he’d felt only a couple of times in his life. Only once that he could think of actually. That was when he woke up after 70 years in the ice, to find everything he’d known was gone. When he found that he’d lost his chance with Peggy. But he’d learned to move past the pain when the team was formed. When he’d met him. But he had only admired from afar, after all, Tony was taken. He had Pepper. He didn’t need Steve. Steve reminded him of his father in the beginning, and his failures later on. What would a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist need with a 100 year old ice cube? Tony was the heart of the team, he was the king pin. Even if he claimed that Steve led the Avengers (which, to be fair, he did), Steve knew the team would be nothing without Tony. Would be nothing without Iron man.

People may think that Steve was the first avenger, but in reality, it was Tony. He was the first one to release his identity to the public, he was the first to be an avenger by choice. He was earths best defender, and that was more than okay by Steve. He had never wanted the spotlight, but he’d take it if Tony didn’t want it. He do anything that Tony asked him to. 

Steve wasn’t sure when that had started. But he knew it was true. He was stupidly loyal to Tony, it was maybe his biggest weakness. But if anything was to happen to Tony, Steve wasn’t sure what he’d do. When Tony went missing, he’d been all but ready to rip Thanos’ head off. If he’d been able to grab him, he probably would have. All of the anger of losing Tony would’ve been channeled into killing that purple grape from space. He’d do anything to get Tony back. He loved Tony that much.

It really hurt.

Steve was happy for the two of them. For Tony and Pepper. Two of his closest friend had gotten engaged, of course he was happy for them. He’d watched the engagement announcement in a crappy motel, while the others were on a food run. After all, he couldn’t exactly stay anyway classy, he was on the run after all. That night, that painful night, that was the first time that he’d gone off coms for any length of time. He simply left without saying a word, he didn’t come back for a week. When he came back, he got such an earful from Natasha, he was scared she might try to kill him. She didn’t, thankfully, and they were all publicly invited to the wedding when the date was announced. Not much that a dysfunctional government could do if they showed up after… that.

He’d been there, at the wedding, which had been one of few joyful occasions since “the dusting”. People had laughed, not just for themselves, but for the people who couldn’t be there with them. Tony had made so many people happy, that they were nearly bursting out of the church. So many people couldn’t be there though. Steve almost wondered what it would’ve been like if everyone was there.

Steve hoped that he’d eased some of the pain that others had felt, when they remembered that people weren’t there. There was a chilling, almost empty feeling when he thought about them, so he tried to push them out of his mind. It wouldn’t do for the optimistic one of the team to be sad, especially at a wedding. That night, they’d drunk and danced their cares away. But not Steve. He couldn’t get drunk, after all. 

His chest hurt.

It was a big deal when their daughter had been born. She brought so much joy into their lives, into the little slice of freedom they’d made for themselves. Steve had stayed for a few days after the birth, but he hadn’t seen Tony since. It hurt too much.

He felt like he’d been punched in the gut.

The entire time he’d been in exile, he’d just wanted to be home. To be back in that compound, with it’s weird layout, and long hallways (which Steve had to admit, they were perfect for sliding down in warm socks). To have his family back. Nat, Sam, Wanda, Vision, they’d all been with him for those two years. Two awful years away from his home. Two years away from Tony. He’d messaged Tony twice, both on low days, where the pain was so intense, he thought he might die. Tony never responded though.

He just wanted to belong again, to feel the safety he’d felt when he slept in a familiar room. To feel the comfort of the quiet hum of the giant arc reactor that powered the place. He missed the madness of family nights, when everyone ate together, and conversations were light and full of laughs, something that he didn’t have the ability to enjoy anymore. And most of all, he missed Tony

Stupid, caffeine-addicted, loud mouthed Tony.

Tony, who always put others before himself. Tony, who tried to protect the entire world, even when he thought it was impossible. Tony, who’d just wanted the safety he’d never had. Tony, perfect, sweet, dorky Tony, who treated him like a person and not an action figure. Tony, who never went the day without at least 5 cups of coffee. Tony, who blasted AC/DC til 3am, when everyone in their right mind was trying to sleep. Tony, who’d sometimes get so wrapped up in his head that the only way to snap him out of his trance was to get Pepper or Steve to sit with him, ready for him to talk to them when he was ready (which, more often then not, was a self deprecating joke, a forced smile, and an extra few cups of coffee or glasses of whiskey). Tony, who’d show his weaknesses to his captain, even if the rest of the team never knew. Except, Steve wasn’t his captain. He was just Captain America, saviour of the people. No matter how much Steve wanted to change what had happened, he was happy that Tony was happy. Because he’d always put Tony’s happiness before his own. 

He’d be okay. He always would be.

If only his chest would stop getting tight when he thought about Tony. If only he could breath properly when Tony smiled a true, dazzling smile.

If only he didn’t love the one man he could never have.


End file.
